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Toy Industry Foundation Names Kids in Distressed Situations (K.I.D.S.) as New Toy Bank Partner

Logistical coordination and administrative support for new toy product donations to begin September 1, 2010

New York, NY August 31, 2010 — The Toy Industry Foundation (TIF) announced today that it will strengthen its partnership with Kids In Distressed Situations (K.I.D.S.) by assigning the New York City-based not-for-profit organization responsibility for logistics and related administrative support of the TIF’s signature program, The Toy Bank. K.I.D.S. will assume its new role effective September 1, 2010.

Founded in 2003 as the TIF’s signature program, The Toy Bank collects approximately $5 million worth of new toys a year from industry manufacturers, distributors and retailers and distributes them to children in need around the world. Since its launch, more than seven (7) million toys have been donated by more than 1,000 toy companies to children in need the world over. Total donations to The Toy Bank are in excess of $50 million.

K.I.D.S. is a global charity of leading retailers, manufacturers, and licensors of children’s and youth products that works in partnership with major foundations to donate children’s clothes, books, toys, and juvenile products to help improve the lives of children and their families who are ill, living in poverty, or are victims of natural disasters. The organization has partnered with the TIF in the past to coordinate toy donations held in conjunction with Toy Industry Association-sponsored trade shows, the American International Toy Fair (Toy Fair) and Fall Toy Preview. K.I.D.S. has also assisted with a recent international toy distribution to children in Haiti following the devastating earthquake in January 2010, as well as numerous toy distributions for thousands of children across the United States.

“We are excited to work with Kids in Distressed Situations in this new capacity to strengthen and expand our Toy Bank program for the industry,” said Jean Butler, TIF executive director. “Working together in partnership, we expect to enhance the donor experience and to make it easier to get toys into the hands of those children who need them most.“

As the TIF’s partner in support of The Toy Bank, K.I.D.S. will receive, warehouse and distribute toys to the nearly 400 TIF-supported charities serving children who are living in poverty, rescued from abuse, seeking treatment for chronic illnesses, and going through many other difficult situations. Among these are organizations such as Ronald McDonald House Charities®, My Stuff Bags Foundation, and Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) Military Services.

“Receiving a steady supply of new, quality toys donated by manufacturers and retailers is vitally important to the mission of our organization, and we look forward to our strengthened partnership with the Toy Industry Foundation,” said K.I.D.S. President Janice Weinman. “These toys and other donated products reach children in need through a network of local social service agencies. They provide children something they can call their own and that can also give them hope for a better tomorrow.”

K.I.D.S. will assume Toy Bank responsibilities that were previously administered by Gifts in Kind International, Inc. New product donation materials (with updated contact information) are available from The Toy Bank website.

About the Toy Industry Foundation (www.toyindustryfoundation.org)

The Toy Industry Foundation is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to bring joy, comfort, and learning to children in need through toys and play. While other organizations provide food, shelter and support services to children and their families, TIF sees to it that these children have toys and opportunities to play in an attempt to restore both fun and a sense of normalcy to their lives. The Foundation currently fulfills its mission through core programs including The Toy Bank™, public education initiatives, and grants to organizations whose missions are in line with that of the Toy Industry Foundation.

About Kids in Distressed Situations (www.kidsdonations.org)

For 25 years, K.I.D.S. has provided over 65 million underprivileged and disaster-struck children with nearly one billion dollars of new clothing, toys, basic necessities, juvenile products, books, and much more. Thanks to the generous donations from manufacturers and retailers, K.I.D.S. has been able to provide children, and often their entire families, with self-esteem and hope through a gift of something BRAND NEW. The donations are distributed through a network of nearly 1,000 local community social service agencies in the U.S. and abroad. Our efforts reach children who are challenged by poverty, homelessness, domestic abuse, low literacy, military family service, major illness, incarcerated family members and disaster survival.

Contact:

Adrienne Appell, Toy Industry Association 646-520-4863
E-mail: aappell@toyassociation.org

Lisa Goldman, K.I.D.S. 212-279-5493 x203
E-mail: lgoldman@kidsdonations.org